This invention relates to an attachment for anchoring a safety belt on a vertically extending supporting member, more particularly, on a vertical frame member of a concrete wall form.
Concrete wall forms having steel frame members are in widespread use. In particular, a popular type of form is assembled with form sides each of which embodies a plurality of upstanding panels arranged in edge-to-edge relation, each panel embodying an inner facing from which there projects outwardly a marginal reinforcing frame including vertical and horizontal frame members. A form side may be constructed of a gang of such panels, which includes a plurality of horizontally adjacent panels having contiguous vertical frame members on respective panels, and also a plurality of vertically adjacent panels having contiguous horizontal frame members on respective panels. The resulting form has substantial length and height. Examples of such panels are the "Steel-Ply" panels manufactured by Symons Corporation of Des Plaines, Ill.
Although the practice is discouraged, individuals at times work on the forms at elevated levels, performing certain operations, such as breaking ties. In order to guard against injury due to falls, reliable and convenient safety equipment is needed. In particular, there is need for equipment which will enable a workman provided with a safety belt to securely and removably attach the belt to a form. To this end, an attachment for anchoring a safety belt to a form side has been provided previously, as disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 907,138, filed on May 18, 1978 and entitled "Safety Key and Locking Means Therefor For Use With Concrete Wall form Panels," which application was filed by Vernon R. Schimmel, one of the present inventors. The attachment of the application, termed a "safety key," is constructed with a shank portion having a slot therein, and an enlarged head portion having an opening therein. The slot is designed to receive a conventional wedge bolt, and the opening is designed to receive a safety belt element, particularly, a hook portion of a safety belt.
The reinforcing frame members of the aforesaid "Steel-Ply" panel are constructed with notched edges forming a series of vertically spaced closed notches defined by pairs of contiguous vertical frame members. The frame members also are provided with wedge bolt-receiving slots in their sides, which are arranged in vertically spaced pairs of opposed slots in the contiguous vertical frame members. The closed notches serve various purposes, including reception of the ends of tie rods inserted therethrough, the reception of members connecting walers and braces to the form, and others. The slots serve to receive conventional wedge bolts, which may be employed to draw adjacent panels tightly together, anchor tie rods on the frame, and/or cooperate with other members to be anchored, which extend through the notches. The slots are relatively abundant, and a number of slots dispersed around the form remain unused. On the other hand, the notches are provided in more limited numbers, and they and/or the slots adjacent thereto frequently are in use to a large extent, for the above-described purposes.
The safety key of the aforementioned Schimmel application is designed for insertion of its shank portion either in one of the closed notches formed between the outer edges of the frame member, or in one of the pairs of wedge bolt-receiving slots formed along the sides of the frame members, the notches and the slots being similar in size. The safety key is secured in place by a wedge bolt inserted through the slot in the shank portion of the safety key. However, there may be no notch available where it is desired to mount a safety key. The alternative insertion of a safety key in a pair of slots in the sides of the frame members is less desirable, inasmuch as the key is concealed from the workmen at times, and may be difficult to reach. Also, in this case, the flat surfaces of the safety key lie in horizontal planes, and the key is subject to distortion by bending or twisting under load.